WASHINGTON DC - U.S. President Donald Trump stormed out of a meeting Wednesday with Democrat leaders over the proposed sourhern border wall.

The president was meeting with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi however the meeting finished abruptly shortly after it started, with Trump declaring it a 'waste of time.' When he realised he was not going to get what he wanted, the president said 'bye-bye' and got up and left, according to Twitter which Mr Trump took to soon after terminating the meeting.

"Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time," Trump said in his tweet. "I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier?" Trump added. "Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!"

The Democrat leaders were scathing of the president's conduct, saying he threw a 'temper tantrum.'

"Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his way," Schumer said. "That is sad and unfortunate. We want to come to an agreement. We believe in border security. We have different views."

In a concerted effort to win public backing, U.S. President Donald Trump took to the media on Tuesday night to promote the construction of his wall along the Mexican border, which he promised during his election campaign.

Congress is refusing to provide funding for the wall which has led to a partial shutdown of the U.S. government.

Prior to his election Mr Trump asserted on numerous occasions that he would demand that Mexico pay for the wall.

The Mexican government has refused to consider providing any funding, and Mr Trump is now seeking U.S. taxpayer funding, arguing that the wall is crucial to the defense of the country's national security. He is blaming Democrats, who now control the House of Represnetatives, for the shutdown.

"The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because Democrats will not fund border security," the president said in his television address to the nation from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. "The only solution is for Democrats to pass a spending bill that defends our border and reopens our government."

The president referred to the need for the wall as a 'crisis,' which the Democrats immediately rejected.

In an address to the nation shortly after the president, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump "just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration".

"The president of the United States, having failed to get Mexico to pay for his ineffective, unnecessary border wall, and unable to convince the Congress or the American people to foot the bill, has shut down the government," Schumer said, in the company of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Around 800,000 federal workers are currently working without pay due to the shutdown.

A number of government agencies have been without funding since just before Christmas.

Prior to the president's address on Tuesday night, the White House issued a statement under the heading 'Crisis at our Border.'

"The United States Southern Border is overwhelmed with illegal immigration, gang violence, crime, drugs, and human trafficking," said the statement.

"President Trump has requested a modest amount of funding to address these issues while Democrats continue to resist in the name of politics."

"We cannot keep our country safe without adequate funding for Border security, including a physical barrier and increased funding for law enforcement," the White House statement added.

President Trump is visiting the southern border on Thursday to talk up the 'crisis,' and gain public support in his bid to win over the Democrats.